Elisabeth Bas (, in Kampen – 2 August 1649, in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

) was a Dutch businesswoman during the

Republican era Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. She was the wife of

Jochem Swartenhont Jochem Hendrickszoon Swartenhont (1566 – 5 June 1627) was a Dutch naval officer in the navy of the Dutch Republic from the 17th century. Swartenhondt was born in Amsterdam, and started his career with the merchant fleet, becoming a cabin bo ...

Biography

Bas' husband Swartenhont was an admiral in the navy of the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...

and a military hero. Jochem Swartenhont was painted, wearing his military decorations by Nicolaes Eliasz. Pickenoy (1588-1655) - Pickenoy also painted Joachem's daughter, Maria. During his frequent absence, Elisabeth, as was the custom for the wives of sailors, supported herself with small time business such as selling bread. During the

Twelve Years' Truce The Twelve Years' Truce was a ceasefire during the Eighty Years' War between Habsburg Spain, Spain and the Dutch Republic, agreed in Antwerp on 9 April 1609 and ended on 9 April 1621. While European powers like Kingdom of France, France began tre ...

(1609-1621), Jochem was out of work and set up a tavern in Amsterdam named after the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by the stadtholders of, and then the heirs apparent of ...

. It was on the corner of the Nes and the Pieter Jacobszstraat and was patronised by politicians, artists, and writers. After Jochem's death, Elisabeth continued to manage it until at least 1631. She later sold it, becoming rich (she left 28,000 guilders to her heirs on her death). Jochem died in 1627, leaving his wife and four children. Three of these children died before their mother. The eldest daughter, Maria, had had three children, who were adopted by Elisabeth upon Maria's death - one of them, Maria Rey, later commissioned a portrait of Elisabeth from Dutch painter

Ferdinand Bol Ferdinand Bol (24 June 1616 - 24 August 1680) was a Dutch painter, etcher and draftsman. Although his surviving work is rare, it displays Rembrandt's influence; like his master, Bol favored historical subjects, portraits, numerous self-portraits, ...

References

Institute of Netherlands History biography

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bas 1570s births 1649 deaths 17th-century Dutch women People from Kampen, Overijssel 17th-century Dutch businesspeople